OfferUp Phone Verification Without Your Personal Number

OfferUp phone verification confirms the mobile number on your account with a 6-digit code. It earns you a Confirmed Phone badge and lets OfferUp protect your account with two-factor authentication. OfferUp only verifies US mobile numbers, and VoIP numbers won’t work.

If you’d rather not attach your personal number to a local marketplace, this guide explains when OfferUp asks for a number, which numbers it accepts and how to verify with a second US mobile number.

When does OfferUp ask for a phone number?

Right after you sign up. OfferUp’s help center says: “We highly encourage you to verify your contact information right away. This helps OfferUp protect your account using two-factor authentication and other verification methods.”

That two-factor authentication (2FA) isn’t optional: “You’re automatically enrolled in 2FA when you set up your OfferUp account.” OfferUp may ask for a code at any time, for example when you log in from a device it doesn’t recognize. Codes go by text or email, depending on the contact information on your account.

A code also comes when you change your phone number or email. And if OfferUp notices unusual activity, it can require TruYou, its ID program, which asks for a mobile number, two photos of a government ID and a selfie.

Other than verification codes, OfferUp says it “will not use your phone number to call or text you.”

Which numbers work for OfferUp phone verification?

OfferUp is specific in its contact verification article: “we only support US mobile numbers. VoIP numbers will not work.” Two more rules matter:

• One account per person. “We only allow one active OfferUp account per user. Please do not attempt to create multiple accounts.”
• Too many accounts on one number. If OfferUp says too many accounts are connected to your phone number, only OfferUp can fix it: “this needs to be resolved on our end.”

A non-VoIP number is a real mobile number from a carrier, so OfferUp sees an ordinary US phone. Not sure what you have? See how to check if a number is VoIP.

How to verify OfferUp with a PVADeals number

1. Create a free PVADeals account and add credits: crypto from $3, or a card through Stripe from $5.
2. Choose OfferUp from the list of websites, with the United States as the country. If it isn’t listed, rent an All services number instead, which works on any website.
3. Pick a rental. Long-term (3, 7, 14 or 30 days) or short-term (20 minutes); see below. See the prices below.
4. In the OfferUp app, tap Account > Account Settings, then Add or Edit under Phone. Enter the number and tap Send Code.
5. Copy the 6-digit code from your PVADeals dashboard, where it appears as soon as it arrives. Enter it under Code Sent and tap Verify.

Your number then shows in Account Settings, and a Confirmed Phone badge appears on your public profile.

Short-term or long-term for OfferUp?

A short-term number (20 minutes) is enough to verify once. But with 2FA, OfferUp can ask for a code again later. If you’ve “lost your phone, gotten a new number, or can no longer access the email on your account,” OfferUp’s 2FA article says none of its troubleshooting steps will help, and you have to contact support to get back in.

So:

• Verify your email too, so OfferUp has a second way to send you a code.
• Rent long-term if you’ll keep using OfferUp. A long-term number (3 to 30 days, renewable with auto-renew) stays yours, so you can receive OfferUp’s codes whenever they come. For months of buying and selling, an All services plan or your own number works too.

If the OfferUp code doesn’t arrive

• Check the number you entered, then tap Resend.
• Wait a few minutes. OfferUp says codes “can occasionally take a few minutes to arrive.”
• Update the app. An outdated version can stop codes from arriving.
• Too many accounts on the number? Contact OfferUp, or use a different number.
• No SMS at all? If an eligible PVADeals number receives no SMS during the rental, its cost comes back to your balance automatically as store credit.

Never share an OfferUp code

OfferUp warns that a buyer who asks for your code “so they can verify your listing” is likely trying to log in to your account. Its rule is simple: “OfferUp does not send verification codes to verify listings.”

Keep your personal number private

A US non-VoIP number from PVADeals verifies OfferUp without your personal number. See our US phone numbers, or read our guides for craigslist, Mercari and eBay.